Shirley choristers helped to celebrate Addiscombe and Shirley Rotary Club’s 60th anniversary by singing a selection of modern pop songs and enticing music numbers.

Popchoir was started by a lady called Helen Hampton to give people of all ages, from 18-80 and over, a place to relax and enjoy singing and socialising with people from all over London.

Helen said that, “Being part of a choir is a fabulous way to combine singing and performing without necessarily having the spotlight on you.” She quoted this on her website and it shows that we don’t need the voice of an X-Factor winner to simply enjoy the music.

I asked a frequent member of the choir, Barbara Sheldrake, and she explained to me that, “Popchoir not only enables you to make friends and socialise but it can really help the community as we sing for charities a lot of the time. This year we are doing lots of projects for the London Air Ambulance and it is so lovely to see what our donations are doing and how they are changing peoples’ lives.”

On Saturday the 7th of October Popchoir performed at St. Mildred’s Church Hall on Bingham Road, Addiscombe to raise money for local charities. These charities include London’s Air Ambulance, Shirley Neighbourhood Care and Friends in Need.

Addiscombe and Shirley Rotary Club raise funds for many local charities and organisations. Rotary has over a million members worldwide; they are extremely active in supporting young people in the area and enjoy giving back to their local community. Over the past year, they have put on various fireworks displays, Moonlight walks and hosted a range of concerts, including the most recent Popchoir event.

That night was one to remember among Popchoir, and the audience, and was a brilliant way to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most prestigious, international organisations in Shirley.